Centrifugal separator



Feb. 18,"1947. MSMELY 2,416,073

CENTRIFUGAL SEIPARATOR Filed oqt. 27, l1942 s sheets-sheet 1 V. SMELYCENTRIFUGAL sEPARAToR I Feb. 18, 194.7. v

Filed 001;. 27,` 194.2

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Feb.`l8, vl9r4'r7. v, SMELY I 2,416,073

CENTRIFUGAL sEPARAToR Filed Oct. 27, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Feb.18, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE `v Application October 27, 1942Serial No. 463,515

In Great Britain October 30, 1941 4 Claims.

particularly for separating solid material from liquids and such as areused, for example, for separating sugar crystals from the mother liquoror for drying small washed coal by separating the water therefrom toreduce the moisture content of the coal.

In general such driers are intermittent in operation and while somecontinuously operating machines have been proposed they are notaltogether satisfactory in that in addition to requiring a high powerconsumption and being subject to relatively rapid wear they have thefurther disadvantage that due to the scraping action involved they causethe crushing of the particles with consequent diminution in size andhence are unsuitable for use in the sugar industry `from which parts areomitted.

Figure la is a perspective detail of the connection between the twosections alf and o16 of the main shaft A showing the spout structure,section L15 being broken away and shown in section.

Figure 2 is an end elevation of Figure 1 looking on the left hand end ofthat figure but showing the top part of the end walls of the outer andinner drums at this end thereof broken away to reveal the interior ofone of the troughs containingr an endless perforated apron. this troughand its associated apron and spout for delivering to the endless apronthe material required to undergo treatment, being shown in section.

Figure 2a is an enlarged transverse section on the line 2-2 of Figure 2.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary plan view of a section of one of the endlessperforated aprons, showing how the surface of the apron is made up frombar elements secured to extend transversely between the transverselyspaced endless ropes which are incorporated in each endless apron.

Figure 4 is a transverse section on the line ll-A of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Figure 3. Y v

Figure 6 is an enlarged end elevation of one of the bar elements andshowing the eye formation of the ends thereof.

Figure 'l is an end View of the bar seen in Figure 6 and looking on theleft hand end of that flgll- Figure 8 is a detail ofthe planetarygearing.

In carrying my invention into effect in one convenient manner as`illustrated in the drawings I provide a stationary or non-rotary outerdrum t, having annular end walls t2, i12 through which the ends of thehollow shaft a extend in a rotary manner and upon which shaft a seconddrum b is mounted to rotate with the shaft a and within the outer drumt, there being an annular space t13 formed between the inner rotary drumand the outer stationary or non-rotary drum.

The end of the rotary hollow shaft a, adjacent the end wall i12 of theouter drum t is closed by a plug d10 having a central shaft all whichextends in a rotatable manner through the center of the end wall i12 andis supported in a journal bearing 0,12 on a pedestal 0,13 fixed on a`foundation or floor 0,14.

The shaft a carries the inner drum b and eX- tends from one end of theouter drum t to the other, passing through the ends of the outer drum,and is composed of two hollow or tubular sections, namely a majorsection als and a minor section a16 joined by a series of radiallyextending spouts co1 carried with a dividing plate all which insurespassage of material from section als through the spouts a1 and preventspassage of the material into the section G15. The pipe section am isrotatably supported in a journal bearing a18 in the center of theannular end wall t2 of the outer drum, such journal bearing beingprovided upon another pedestal 1,19 fixed upon the foundation or iloor0.14. The section a16 and the spouts a1 as well as the plate all have aninterior lining a2 of rubber. `Incidentally the plate all is providedwith a centralopening 1.21 for the passage of pipe s to be hereinafterdescribed.

The cylindrical walll of the inner rotary drum b is perforated and ateneend this drum is fitted with an annular end plate b1 secured at itscenter upon the hollow shaft a and arranged to have sealed rotaryengagement at its outer periphery with a ring t14 xed to the inside ofthe outer non-rotary drum t. At its opposite end the inner rotary drum bis fitted withr a ring bu having a central opening Z212 forming one sideof the upper portion of aspout q; the opposite side of which is closedby the end wall i12 of the outer casing and which spout serves toreceive material discharged thereinto from the inner drum during theoperation of the centrifuge.v

The upper end of this delivery spout is sealedolf from the annular spacet13 between the inner and outer drums by the inner drum being iitted onits outer surface witha ring i213 arranged to have rotary sealingengagementwith a ring 15 fixed to the inside of the outer drum.

The shaft afand chutes a1 andthe inner drum b are rotated together froma pulley a4.

The drum b forms the vessel in which the centrifusine operation is.,carried out upon material introduced into the interior of the ldrum fromas to be rotatable therewith as the apron is itself made to travellongitudinally of the'drum.

A preferred arrangement consists in the provision of the three suchendless aprons arranged in uniformly one another about the center of thedrum.

Each apron is provided with perforations andv any liquidseparated fromthe material being carried-by the apron will percolate through theapertures in the apron due to centrifugal action and may ibe eitherdeflected sideways or may be allowed to pass through the return siderofthe apron thus assisting in dislodging any particles which may becomewedged in the per-forations of the endless apron. Moreover since thecentrif.

ugal force acting on the return side of the apron is about doublerthaton the carrying side centrifugal force alone should keep the aperturesclear.

V There are many ways in which the apron may `be constructed. Since,however, there are Very large stresses developed in the apron Iprefer'to form the same as shown in Figures 3 to 7 from a plurality oflongitudinally disposed endless loops of wire rope d to which areattached transverse wedge-shaped bars e forming the apron surface. Y Inorder to protect the wireropes d from abrasion I preferably cover themwith rubber sheath- Y ing f and this sheathing also serves the further ipurpose of retaining graphite or other lubricant -with which the wirerope is impregnated before y being covered with the sheathing. Y

The 'transverse bars e are preferably of double wedge or substantiallylozenge shapev as clearly `The bars e must be secured in place upon thel ropes in Such a manner that they are not likely to be detached due-tothe centrifugal forces developed. This may be effectedby forming the 1bars with eye ends e by which they may be i threaded upon the rubbersheathing f onY the ropes, there being interveningwashers g between theadacent eyes and on the outside eyes as shown in Figure 3.

The; longitudinalY ropes d are spliced to form endless loops and arethen covered with the rubber sheath. Y

spaced circumferential; relation ,to rotary inner 4 to ensure a goodgrip between the tube and the outer rubber covering.

As shown in Figures l and 2 the aprons, drums and pulleys are disposedin U-shaped tunnels or troughs l, the side walls of which are flangedoutwardly as at Z2 and secured to the inner surfacey of the inner drum band as the latter is carried by the shaft a rotate therewith.

Any convenient means may be employed for imparting translational motionto the endless aprons. In Figures 1 and 8 this is shown as beingeliected by planetary wheels n carried upon the end wall blo of therotary Vdrum b and engaging a stationary sun wheel ym mounted about thehollow. shaft a and'secured upon the pedestal al", the planets operatingto Ydrive worms o engaging worm` 'wheels .h1 on the aprons supportingdrums h. v l.

For the purpose of feeding tne material to Vbe centrifuged to the apronsIprovride a hopper p xed relative to the bearing am by which thematerial may be fed to the interior of the minor section als of thehollow shaft a, and the latter will be formed with or have securedthereto spouts a which extend through the adjacent ends of the adjacenttroughs and by means of which the material is directed on to the aprons.In orderto facilitate even distribution of the material across the widthof the aprons the spouts may be provided with rubber-lined difusers' a2as shown in Figure 2. Y

The material having been carried the length of the centrifuge isdischarged into the collecting hopper q and as the material is flung outwith considerable force I prefer to line the collecting hopper andits-outlet q1 also with rubber as at q2. When the aprons or otherinternal parts of the machine require to be flushed with liquid or steamthe flushing medium may be introduced as by the pipe s through thehollow shaft a and thence through any number of jets or sprays s'disposed along the carrying side ofthe apron.

The particles of water ejected from the material under theaction ofcentrifugal force may collected in and escapes from the troughs t inTheaprons are arranged upon end drums hi sleeveslrlFigure 2)andprovidedwith periph- The driving l either or both of which may bedriven, and durg Q ing the rotation of the drum theyY are supported i'by rollers 7c at intervals along the lengthof both the carrying andreturn side, and since the loads i upon the rollerswill be heavy Iprefer to form the sainev from steel tubes covered with Yrubber with thesun Wheel m, whereby the endless apronsare caused to traverse thetroughs Z within the inner drum, in the direction of the arrows inFigure l, and while these aprons are being carried aroundY with thedrum. The material required to undergo treatment is introduced into thecentrifuge by way of the hopper p and is discharged from the deliveryspouts a1 direct upon the inner runs of the endless aprons at a pointnear one end of the troughs containing these aprons. l The material willbe held against the apron surfaces by the centrifugal forces generatedand at the Sametime will be made to traverse the troughs While this istaking place the liquid separatedV from the material will pass throughthe perforais claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

- 1. A centrifugal drier or separator comprising a stationary ornon-rotary outer drum, a rotary drum mounted within said outer drum toextend longitudinally of the latter -and spaced from the outer drum sothat an annular space is formed between the outer and inner drums, thecylindrical wall of the inner drum being perforated to providecommunication between the interior of the inner drum and the saidannular space, a hollow shaft rotatably mounted in the end walls of theouter drum and carrying the inner drum, the

Meanwhile the material remaining `1 said shaft extending longitudinallythrough the l interior of the said inner drum, trough forming memberssecured to the inside of the cylindrical wall of the inner rotary drumat uniformly spaced circumferential distances apart and forming separatehollow troughs extending longitudinally of the inner drum, an endlessperforated apron mounted within each said trough to eX- tend and travellongitudinally thereof, gearing means for connecting the hollow shaft tothe aprons for imparting translational movement to said endless apronsas the same are carried around with the inner rotary drum, an inlethopper at one end of the outer drum and communicating with the interiorof the adjacent end of said hollow shaft, delivery spouts open at theirinner ends to the interior of the said shaft at said end thereof andopen at their outer ends to the interior of said troughs at the endsthereof adjacent the said hopper, there being one said delivery spoutprovided for each trough and each said spout being adapted to deliverthe material required to undergo treatment, and fed into the hopper,directly onto its corresponding endless perforated apron at one endthereof, a discharge spout for the centrifuged material, said dischargespout being provided at the opposite end of the outer drum remote fromthe inlet hopper and being open to the adjacent end of the inner drum,whereby the centrifuged material is able to pass from the troughs intosaid discharge spout after the material has been constrained, by saidtranslational movement of the perforated aprons, to traverse the lengthof the troughs, and outlets in the cylindrical wall of said outer drumadapted for the discharge from the said annular space of the matterdelivered, during the centrifuging operation, into such space from thetroughs and entering such space through the perforations in thecylindrical wall of the inner rotary casing, the perforated wall of thelatter constituting the outer wall of the said troughs.

2. A centrifugal drier or separator as claimed in claim 1 comprisingr apipe arranged within the said hollow shaft to extend longitudinallythereof, and branches from said pipe opening into the troughs, the saidpipe serving to convey washing fluid which is directed onto the apronsin said troughs via the said branches.

3. A centrifugal drier or separator as claimed in claim 1 comprisingrollers in the troughs at each end thereof and supported by the innerrotary drum to rotate therewith, the said rollers being adapted tosupport the opposite ends of the perforated endless aprons, a sun wheelon vsaid outer drum and planetary wheels on said inner rotary drummeshing with the sun wheel and geared to the apron supporting rollers todrive the latter so as to impart the desired translational motion to theaprons.

4. A centrifugal drier or separator comprising in combination an outerdrum and an inner drum both horizontally disposed and the inner drumbeing rotatably mounted within the outer drum and being spaced from thelatter so that an annular space exists between the twoV drums, a hollowshaft carrying said innerdrum and rotatably mounted in the end walls ofthe outer drum, a trough extending along the inside of the inner drumfrom end to end thereof and bounded on its outer periphery by thecylindrical wall of the inner drum, the said cylindrical wall beingperforated to provide communication between the interior of the troughand the said annular space and the trough being closed along its insideWall l within the inner cylinder, an endless perforated apron mountedwithin said trough to extend'longitudinally thereof, rollers within thetrough at the opposite ends thereof for supporting the endless apron,gearing meansconnecting the hollow shaft to one of the apron supportingrollers to produce translational movement of the apron longitudinally ofthe trough during the rotation of the inner drum, a hopper at one end ofthe outer drum and discharging into the adjacent end of said Ahollowshaft, a, spout open to the said end of the hollow shaft and extendingoutwardly therefrom and through an opening in the wall of said troughnear the end thereof adjacent said hopper, whereby material fed into thelatter can be directed from said spout directly onto the apron surface,and a discharge spout for the centrifugal material, the upper portion ofsaid spout being formed at the end of the said outer drum remote fromthe said inlet hopper and being situated between the adjacent end wallof the outer drum and the adjacent end Wall of the inner drum, the lastmentioned wall having openings through which the material may bedischarged into the discharge spout from the said troughs.

VACLAV SMELY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the y file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

